Reflecting on Your Career: Why Self-Awareness is the First Step to Realignment
Introduction: When You Don’t Know Why You Feel Off
You’re showing up. You’re getting things done. From the outside, you’re doing fine.
But inside? Something’s off.
You can’t quite name it. You’re not miserable, but you’re not motivated either. The things that used to light you up feel routine, or worse, irrelevant.
If this feels familiar, you’re not broken.
You’re likely just out of alignment.
And the first step back is reflection.
Not reaction. Not another productivity hack.
Just pausing long enough to hear yourself again.
Why Reflection Gets Overlooked
In a culture that values hustle, reflection can feel like a luxury. Something we’ll “get to” once the list is done, once the deadline passes, once we’re less busy.
But here’s the truth:
Without reflection, you’re just moving faster in the wrong direction.
We often mistake momentum for progress. But real progress, especially in your career, starts when you stop long enough to ask, “Where am I, really?”
The RISE Method: Reflect Phase
That’s why Reflect is the very first phase of the RISE Method.
Before we can align your career with your strengths, values, and goals, we have to understand what’s actually happening.
Reflection isn’t about dwelling on the past.
It’s about noticing the patterns that brought you here, so you can choose what to bring forward and what to leave behind.
You can’t change what you won’t name. Reflection gives you language, and permission, to realign.
Why Reflection Is the Foundation of Career Alignment
Misalignment doesn’t always show up as a major crisis. Sometimes it shows up quietly:
You’re drained after “good” days
You procrastinate tasks you used to enjoy
You get praised for work that doesn’t feel meaningful anymore
You feel like you’re acting more than leading
The problem isn’t your competence.
It’s the slow drift between who you are now and the version of you your work is built around.
Reflection is how you notice that drift and begin course-correcting.
SIgns It’s Time to Reflect Checklist
You’ve outgrown your goals
You dread starting the workweek
You can’t remember the last time you felt proud of your work
You’re succeeding, but it feels empty
You’re making decisions from habit and not from intention
Three Practical Reflection Tools
You don’t need a retreat or a sabbatical to get started. Seriously, just a few minutes of honest inquiry can go a long way.
Here are three simple ways to begin:
1. The Satisfaction Snapshot
Prompt: “When was the last time I felt truly satisfied at work?”
Write down what you were doing, who was involved, and how it felt.
Then ask:
What values were honored in that moment?
How can I recreate that alignment more regularly?
2. The Role vs. Real Self Filter
Question: “What parts of my work feel like I’m playing a role instead of being myself?”
We all adapt. But when the gap between your role and your real self gets too wide, it becomes exhausting.
This question helps uncover where you’re performing instead of participating. Then you can explore:
Is this temporary?
Is this avoidable?
Or is this a sign of deeper misalignment?
3. The Alignment Gut-Check
Ask Yourself: “Am I proud of how I’m spending my time?”
Not proud of your title, your status, or your salary.
Proud of your time. Your energy. Your presence.
If the answer is no, it’s not a verdict. It’s an invitation.
Real-Life Insight: When Goals Outgrow You
One of my clients, a high-achieving marketing executive, came to me feeling inexplicably empty. Her career was a checklist of wins: promotions, awards, the corner office.
But every day, she left work numb.
Through our work together, she realized her drive had once come from proving she could “make it.” But now, what she valued had shifted toward flexibility, creativity, and impact.
Her job still matched her old goals. But it didn’t reflect who she’d become.
That insight changed everything. She didn’t quit overnight. She reflected. She recalibrated. And over time, she realigned her career with who she actually wanted to be.
Make Reflection a Habit, Not a Hail Mary
Reflection isn’t just for when you’re stuck or burned out. It’s a regular practice that keeps you aligned as you grow.
Because who you are is evolving. Your priorities shift. Your definition of success changes. And without reflection, you may wake up one day succeeding at a life that no longer fits.
Make time to pause:
Journal once a week
Schedule a monthly self-check-in
Take a walk without a podcast
Ask yourself questions that don’t have easy answers
You don’t have to overhaul your life.
You just have to be honest about what’s working and what’s not.
My Challenge to You:
Block 30 minutes on your calendar once a month labeled: Career Alignment Check-in.
Use it to reflect on where your energy is going and whether it’s taking you somewhere you want to be.
The Takeaway
You don’t need all the answers. You just need the right questions and the courage to ask them.
Clarity often doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from finally understanding what’s already there.
So if something feels off, don’t rush to fix it.
Pause. Reflect.
Let your next move be shaped by alignment and not by a sense of urgency.
Final Prompt:
Ask yourself “What matters to me right now, and am I honoring it with how I’m working?”
Write it down. Sit with it. And trust what comes up.
Because self-awareness is the start of every meaningful shift.
